Mr Brightside
by Dante Reaver
Summary: Post 'Dalek', Adam is on board, and the Doctor is not too pleased... NineRose [One shot]


Pairing - Ninth Doctor/Rose

Spoilers - 'Dalek' to 'The Long Game'

Bit of a songfic set to The Killers' 'Mr Brightside'

Ahh, the shippy goodness. Be sure to leave a review!

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_I'm coming out of my cage_

The Doctor was pacing, which was unusual. He wasn't a patient man by any stretch of the imagination, but still this anxious movement just wasn't normal for him. He ran a hand through his short hair as he spun on his heel and paced back the way he'd come. He should never have let it happen.

_Because I want it all_

He should have known that it would change things; their dynamic had altered, throwing him completely out of stride.

_It started out with a kiss_

Feeling suddenly confined and restricted by his leather jacket, he shrugged out of it and slung it into the corner of his room before resuming his frustrated prowling.

_How did it end up like this_

It was only a kiss for crying out loud. Yet again he had hurled her head first into danger, and when she'd come out the other side alive and undamaged he had been so relieved that he'd picked her up with a whoop and kissed her.

_It was only a kiss_

He'd kissed her before in celebration of their survival, but this had been different somehow and now that bloody spineless twit had followed them and brainlessly squished any hope of him exploring the change in their relationship in the privacy of his own ship.

He stopped abruptly at that thought and his face twisted into an ugly snarl; the pretty little shit was probably exploring her for himself.

_Now they're going to bed_

He felt his stomach lurch at the thought.

_And my stomach is sick_

He prowled his room, looking for an outlet for his anger, but finding nothing that wasn't irreplaceable that he could smash; he threw himself onto his bed and covered his eyes, trying to control his breathing.

_And it's all in my head_

But the image of that moronic bit of flotsam with his puny little arms around _his_ companion wouldn't go away.

_But she's touching his chest now_

Adam was touching her, his stupid little hands brushing hair away from her face in the same way that the Doctor had always wanted to. She leaned into the touch, turning to kiss the fingers against her cheek.

_He takes off her dress now_

Hearts thumping in rage, his mind, hell-bent on driving itself mad, skipped ahead until they were both nude, wrapped in each others arms, and then suddenly it wasn't Adam in her arms, it was him, and she was warm and loving and – _Gods_ – skin to skin with him. Quickening now for a different reason, his hearts filled him with phantom sensation until a slight moan escaped his lips. Fantasy Rose lifted her eyes to gaze up at him, _"Oh, Doctor…" _

The Doctor snapped his eyes open, the words sobering him like a bucket of ice water dumped over his head; what the hell was he doing? This was _Rose_, his dear, sweet, innocent Rose. Jumping up as if his bed was made of hot coals, he all but fled from his room and past Rose's, not daring to peek inside in case he'd been right the first time, and raced to the control room. Grabbing his sonic screwdriver from a bench, he ripped open a floor panel and slid into the workspace; a little tinkering should take his mind off things.

It took a while, but he finally managed to clear his head and was actually able to fix something without having to hit it.

"Doctor?"

He froze, almost dropping the screwdriver on his head. Shit. His hearts slammed against his breastbone as she circled the control panel to peer quizzically down at him wedged into the floor.

_I just can't look it's killing me_

"What are you doing?"

"J-just maintenance." He squeaked; damn voice, so much for playing it cool.

"In the middle of the night?" She didn't sound convinced.

Feeling daring, he peeked out at her and had to bite back a territorial snarl; she was tousled and wearing a robe which covered whatever was or, more importantly, was not underneath. "Uh yeah…couldn't sleep." He went back to fiddling blindly with the phase relay.

"Yeah, me neither." She plonked herself down on the deck next to him and yawned mightily, "Adam's been throwing up for the last half hour; I think he's time-sick."

_Jealousy_

This time he couldn't hold back the sneer, "Been keeping you up has he?"

Rose frowned daintily in confusion, "Well yeah, his room's next to mine and the walls aren't that thick." She smiled, "He was crying too." She sighed, "He can't stay."

The Doctor froze again, a very delicate circuit balanced precariously in his suddenly shaking hands, "Why? I thought he was your pretty boyfriend."

She snorted a laugh, "Him? No way." She picked at her fingernails, "Yeah he's pretty, but that's about all he has going for him; he's too nerdy, too excitable…" she suddenly looked up and scowled, "and he left me for dead. Arsehole."

He laughed, relief flooding him, "That's a relief." Then almost swallowed his tongue, hoping she wouldn't notice his slip. He looked up to find her eying him suspiciously; oops.

"What did you say?"

"I-I said he might be a thief. You-you know, working for that Van Statten and all…" he trailed off lamely. Feeling her eyes boring into him, he tried to cram himself further into the tiny crawl space.

"What are you really doing in here?"

It was an uncharacteristically timid voice that wavered back, "Um, hiding from you."

Rose nearly fell over in shock, "From me? Whatever for?"

"He made an exasperated noise, pushed himself out from under the console and made to leave the room, "No reason." He was almost to the door, when she darted in front of him, her robe slipping open slightly in her haste,

"Oh no you don't. What's the matter? You should know by now you can tell me anything,"

He looked down at her and gazed into her large, trusting eyes. She would most likely follow him to the ends of the universe if he asked her to. She trusted him implicitly and Gods knew he trusted her. He swallowed nervously; the next few words could have her fleeing either out of the TARDIS or into his bed; he steeled himself, it was now or never, "I need you."

She gazed back, slight confusion at where he was taking this line of thought evident in her eyes, "Yeah, I know you do."

A slight frown drew his brows together: she wasn't following, "No, I mean I _need_ you."

"Yeah, I - " Understanding suddenly lit her features and he held his breath as the emotion in her eyes shifted and she continued in a softer tone of voice, "I mean, who's going to get you out of all those scrapes you keep getting us into?"

He blinked, "Rose…"

Her voice dropped to a whisper, "Love can be a very dangerous thing, Doctor; it can control us, dominate us…cloud our judgment."

He swallowed again, to say she'd only been in existence for the metaphorical blink of an eye she was bloody perceptive.

"Rose…"

She stepped closer, "Our love keeps us alive. Are you willing to trade that for something more dangerous?"

As he gazed down at her, a grin slowly split his face, "Oh yeah."

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**AN** Liked it? Hated it? Do share, leave a review and I'll make you a cup of tea!


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